Fashioning means and method for knitting machines



July 29, 1947. R. E. SCHLETTER 2,424,957

FASHIONING MEANS AND METHQD FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Jan. 16, 1943 13 Sheets-Sheet l P.J.E-l- Firs--5- INVENTOR:

July 29, 1947. R. E. SCHLETTER 2,424,957 FASHIONING MEANS AND METHOD FOR KNITTING MACHINES I 3 Filed Jan. 16, 1943 13 Sheets-Sheet 2' INVENTORI July 29, 1947. R. E. SCHLETTER 2,424,957

FASHIONING MEANS AND METHOD FOR KNITTING- MACHINES Fild Jam-.16, 1943 15 Shee'ts-Sheet s Rmmmm mil 7mm; ammi m1 Emma li y Mammy; f may INVENTOR. ,lj'ichardEScklefiez;

July 29, 1947. R. E. SCHLETTER FASHIONING MEANS AND METHOD FOR KNITTING MACHINES 15 Sheets-Shed 4 Filed Jan. 16, 1943 EF EEn s s r w SK/Q 0 Am mm y" R."E.SCHLE|;TE-R I 2,424,957

FASHIONING MEANS AND METHOD FOR-KNITTING MACHINES Filed Jan. 16, 1943- 13 Sheets-Sheet 5' I NVE NTORZ .gmmzmwer,

FASHIONiNG MEANS AND METHOD FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Jan. 16, 1943 1a Sheets-Sheet 6 1: mgg W M 431 k I (Q) I fl@ A Fla-"-15- 170 1 Ems--15., FIE--15- r QIINVENTORI flidmzdflfllefielg Jul 29, 1947.

R. E. SCHLETTER I FASHIONING MEANS- AND METHOD FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Jan. 16, 1945 1s Sheets-Sheet 7 FIG-LE- Fla- 1.7-.

v I I I E I i ATTO REK July 29, 1947 R. E. SCHLETTER 2,424,957

FASHIONING MEANS AND METHOD FOR KNITTING MACHINES I Filed Jan. 16. 1945 '13 Sheets-She a; s

INVENTOR I lyicmrmmzew; BY

July 29, 1947. R. E. SCHLETTER 2,424,957

FASHIONING MEANS AND METHOD FOR KNITTING MACHINES I Filed Jan. 16, 1943 13 Sheets-Sheet 9 July 29, 1947. R. E. SCHLETTER 2,424,957

FASHIONING MEANS AND METHOD FOR-KNITTING MACHINES Filed Jan. 16. 1943 15 Sheets-Sheet 10' E- .EE- 15% July 29, 1947. R. E. SCHLETTER 2,424,957

FASHIONING MEANS AND METHOD FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Jan. 16, 194$ 13 Sheets-Sheet 11- w H 2W Z07 i 5 v 79 5g g INVENTOR'.

. lwemma ishlefiez;

FASHION LING MEANS AND METHOD FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Jan. 16, 1945 13 Sheets-Sheet 12 III-i? zzi 2x 222 g 166 I-II7l I I-iIII-I M 1% v. 1 1? n-I -Ii- I M 1:26 2 1 226 22 .zz v

. I 1 l-lllll l INVENTOR2 167166 M 16.4 365 WMME'MMM July 29, 1947. R. E. SCHLETTER FASHIONING MEANS AND METHOD FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Jan. 16, 1945 13 Sheets-Sheet 1s lfichardflgzhlm BY INVENTORI ATTO EY. I

Patented July 29, 1947 FASHIONIN G MEANS AND METHOD FOR KNITTING MACHINES Richard E. Schletter, Elkins Park, Pa., assignor to Textile Machine Works, Wyomissing, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application January 16, 1943, Serial No. 472,636

30 Claims.

My invention relates to novel knitted fabrics, to a new method of making them, and to improvements in straight or full-fashioned knitting machines.

The standard full-fashioned stockings are two unit stockings, that is, they are stockings made from fiat blanks knitted on two machines, a legger, and a footer. The blank for a standard two unit stocking is begun on the legger and at the upper or welt end, i. e. the widest point, and comparatively narrower heel tabs are knitted at the outer edges of the leg, at the lower end. Advantage is taken of the transfer of the blank from the needles of the logger to those of the footer to spread the heel tabs outwardly, placing the originally inner edges of the heel tabs on the needles and thereby increasing, or widening the stocking at the heel. Consequently, when producing a stocking blank on the standard legger and footer machines it is not neccessary to widen the fabric in the heel area, but in making single unit stockings it is necessary to widen the fabric in this area and this can be done by employing a special routine, involving stopping the machine and turning the end stops by hand, or by modifying the design of the machine so that loops may be added by automatic action during knitting. The latter solution is recognized as more desirable, but difficulty has been encountered in providing a mechanism adapted to make not only a satisfactory form of heel but also a non-ravelling selvage along the widened portion of the fabric.

In making fiat-knitted blanks for stockings and socks on so-called single unit knitting machines, it is necessary to widen the fabric at the upper heel as well as to narrow it at other places,

for example, in the lower heel.

One object of my invention is to provide an automatic mechanism adapted to widen. knitted fabric and toproduce a non-ravel selvage along the widened section.

Further, the standard full-fashioned knitting machines are provided with com-b carrying rods and end stops, together with threaded spindles for operating said rods and stops, two spindles at each end of the machine. A known mechanism for manipulating the spindles for the end stops and for the point comb rods of a full-fashioned knitting machine includes a pawl at each end of a machine, a so-called back-racking pawl, for turning the spindle for the point comb rods one needle at a time in the widening direction during certain narrowings, as well as other pawls for turning both spindles at each end two needles at a time in the narrowing direction and in the widening direction.

Another object is to provide a novel automatic racking mechanism employing certain parts of said known mechanism for manipulating the end stop spindles and comb operating spindles of fullfashioned and other straight knitting machines to widen the fabric during knitting.

Another object is to provide a control arrangement for the narrowing and widening mechanism of a'single unit knitting machine adapted to cause the back-racking pawls to act in the course of Widening the fabric.

A further object is to utilize the pawls for backracking to assist in widening the fabric when the end stops are between certain positions at which narrowing occurs without back-racking.

The end stops of straight knitting machines including full-fashioned machines are almost always moved two needles at a time so that the yarn carrier fingers will come to rest above dividers. Otherwise the sinkers would need to be modified. To make the desired selvage, however, the point comb rods must move only one needle at a time.

A still further object, therefore, is to provide means for moving the spindles for the point carrying rods two needles per revolutionof the camshaft of the machine, but in two successive steps.

In seaming the widened heel areas of single unit full-fashioned stockings, it more Or less frequently happens that the first one or two of the Widening marks are not taken into the seam. I have found that by placing the first few marks of a widening line nearer the edge of the blank than the remainder, this difficulty is overcome.

- Another object is to provide a single unit stocking blank having a novel widening line to facilitate taking the line entirely into the seam. I

An additional object is to provide a single unit stocking blank having widening marks in ornamental or letter-shaped arrangement.

It is also an object to provide a novel method for widening flat knitted fabrics.

With these and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the novel fabric, method of knitting, features of construction and arrangement of parts in cooperative relationship as hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view of a full-fashioned stocking having a heel structure made in accordanc with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a stocking blank from which the stocking of Fig. 1 is made;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. l of another form of a full-fashioned stocking in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a portion of a stocking fabric blank from which the stocking of Fig. Sis made;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 of a further form of stocking fabric blank of my invention;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of the loop formation along the salvage edges of the fabric shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 of the fabric shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Figs. 6 and 7 of a further form of selvage loop formation;

Fig. 9 is a front view of the left end of a fullfashioned knitting machine having mechanism in accordance with the invention applied thereto;

Fig. 10 is an end view as seen from the left of Fig. 9 and enlarged relative thereto;

Fig. 11 is a view of certain of the pawl control mechanism of the invention as viewed from the left of Fig. 10 and enlarged. relative thereto;

Fig. 12 is a top plan view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a view similar to a portion of Fig. 11 with the parts in different relative positions;

Fig. 14 is a view taken substantially along the line l4--I4 of Fig. 11; g V

Fig. 15 is a view similar to Fig. 14 with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 13;

Fig. 16 is an end View similar to Fig. 10 of cer tain of the pawl control mechanism but with the parts shown in different relative positions;

Fig. 17 is a perspective view of one part of a control block arrangement in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 18 is a perspective view of another part of the control block arrangement;

Fig. 19 is an end view similar to a portion of Fig. 10 with parts shown in different positions relative thereto;

Fig. 20 is an elevational view of certain control mechanism as viewed from the right of Fig. 19;

Fig. 21 is a view of a portion of the mechanism as seen from the right of Fig. 10;

Fig. 22 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 2222 of Fig. 21;

Fig. 23 is a view similar to Fig. 22 but with the parts shown in different relative positions;

Fig. 24 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 24-24 of Fig. 21;

Fig. 25 is a view similar to Fig. 24, but with the parts in different relative positions;

Fig. 26 is a view similar to a portion of Fig. 10 with certain parts omitted;

Fig. 2'7 is a view similar to Fig. 26, but with the parts in different positions relative thereto;

Fig. 28 is a diagrammatic view of the narrowing head mechanism at the left end of the machine and the associated narrowing and carrier rods, at the start of narrowing in a stocking blank;

Figs. 29, 30 and 31 are views similar to Fig. 28 showing several other steps in the operation of the narrowing head during the production of a stocking blank in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 32 is a view of a portion of the stocking blank shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 33 is a top plan view of the control mechanism as positioned at the start of the stocking blank;

. Figs. 34 to are views similar to Fig. 16 with the parts in different relative positions showing the step-by-step operation of the control mechanism during the production of the stocking blank of Fig. 32;

Fig. 41 is a view similar to a portion of Fig. 33 showing a. further stepduring the production of another form. of stocking blank of the invention;

Fig. 42 is an end view of the right end of the machine and showing the modified form of mechanism for controlling the operations of the pawls for the narrowing spindles; and

Fig. 43 is a top plan view of a portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 23.

In the drawings and description, only the means necessary to a complete understanding of the invention have been specifically set forth; further information as to the construction and operation of other related, usual and well known knitting machine elements, mechanisms, etc, may be found in one or more of the following publications:

1. Pamphlet entitled Full-Fashioned Knitting Machines, published and copyrighted by the Textile Machine Works, Reading, Pennsylvania, in 1920.

2. Three catalogs entitled The Reading Full- Fashioned Knitting Machine Parts Catalog, pub- Eshed and copyrighted by the ,Textile Machine Works, in 1929, 1935 and 1940, respectively.

3. Booklet entitled The Reading High-Production Full-Fashioned Knitting Machine, which forms a supplement to the above noted 1940 parts catalog of the Textile Machine Works, and which booklet is a publication of the Textile Machine Works, and was copyrighted by the latter in 1940.

4. Pamphlet entitled "Knitting Machine Lectures, published by the Wyomissing Polytechnic Institute, Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, in 1935.

I have shown in the drawings an embodiment of my apparatus invention adapted to operate in accordance with my method invention and to manufacture fabric in accordance with my article invention. As will appear more in detail 7 hereinbelow, my apparatus not only involves a novel principle of operation in the knitting machine art in that it moves a cam piece for controlling an operating pawl out of its active position by a movement transverse to the path of its cooperating member, but it accomplishes the rethe same pawl active during operations for altering the width of the fabric in the opposite direction and, surprisingly, while the changes in one direction are within the same limits of Width as those in the other direction.

Further, my apparatus invention involves a radically novel concept in that it is adapted to make lines of lace openings that initially incline toward the selvages when followed in the direction of knitting and then run parallel to widened selvages, thereby providing a stocking fabric of attractive and novel appearance as well as a fabric or loop arrangement capable of increasing the elasticity of the heel region as well as ornamenting it. The apparatus according to my invention further is remarkably flexible and adapted to produce a variety of fabric arrangements adapted to different purposes.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, I have shown a flatknitted full-fashioned stocking A and a single unit blank B composed essentially of plain knitted loops and adapted to form, when the edges of the blank have been seamed, the full-fashioned stocking A. Blank B comprises a welt W, a leg portion L, an ankle portion M and a foot portion F including heel portions H. The blank B is shown as narrowed at the knee and the calf to reduce the width to that desired for the angle. "The method of narrowing is, of course, well known and so is mechanism suitable for the purpose. This invention has no contact with narrowing except in so far as the. mechanism and method used for widening the fabric is related to the method and mechanism used for narrowing it.

As is evident from Fig. l, the narrowing operations make the knee and calf fashion marks K and C, respectively. After the lower fashion marks produced by the leg or calf narrowings, an additional thread or additional threads is or are introduced into the blank to produce the heel reinforcements and such reinforcements are shown as extended throughout the heel and sole regions to the toe of the blank B. The upper portions of the heel are indicated at R and are known as the high heel, overlapping from the foot to the lower ankle portions. Said portions R have parallel walewise sides as shown and will be understood to extend above the level of th heel of a low shoe, so that they are nowadays ordinarily visible. According to the preferred form of my fabric invention the high heel portions R have lace apertures therein arranged in a line P at an outward inclination to the wales and selvage edges of the high heels R so that, when the edges of the blank B are seamed together to form the stocking A, the portions of lines P in the high heel portions R come close together at the lower ends of the portions R to.

give the appearance of a V. The lines P, however, do not terminate at the lower edges of the high heel but extend farther down into the heel proper H for reasons that will presently appear. Shortly below the upper edges of the reinforced areas, immediately below the portions R, the blank must be widened to produce fabric for the heel pocket.

In Figs. 6, 7 and 8, I have shown three forms of fabric according to the present invention. In each of the fabrics shown in Figs. 6, '7 and 8, the first course to be widened by having the number of its loops increased has two loops more than the preceding adjacent course. In, by way of example, the production of said first course I) in Fig. 7, having an increased number of loops, the two added loops are knitted into end loops of the preceding course a which have been transferred outward one needle, the yarn carrier being moved out two needles simultaneously. Then, as the yarn carrier has been moved out two needles, yarn is laid in the new and widened course by two additional'and unoccupied needles, one at the side of the fabric at which the yarn carrier came to rest in the next preceding course and on needle at the other side of the fabric. The two needles, one on each side of the fabric, outside the ones to which the edge loops were transferred, to which yarn is fed in the course I) do not, however, knit properly formed loops until after a second operation of spreading the edge loops outwardly as shown in course 0. In the course b, the one following the first operation in which the edge loops were transferred outward and for several courses thereafter, the outer needles to which yarn is fed do not knit their loops, there being nothing through which the outer needles can draw the yarn. The needles therefore merely cause for a time, loose float yarns to form at the edges of the fabric after the first out! ward transfer of the edge loops. In the fabric shown in Fig. 7, after the second outward trans-.- fer of edge loops, the one shown in course 0, for reasons not clear, a sinker loop e is formed at one side of the fabric outside the outer needle loop and in the next course after the sinker loope has appeared, a sinker loop f. is formed on the opposite edge of the fabric. In the next courses following the appearance of each sinker loop 6. and f, a needle loop is formed outside the loops e and, f as shown at g and h. By this time the fabric has been widened by two needle loops picked up in addition to those added by the outward transfer of needle loops, in the act of knitting three or four courses, two by transferring out the edge loops and two which were picked up due to stepping out the carrier two needles. From this point onward, I am able to add four loops on the average for each widening operation, although the number of courses required for adding two loops at each side of the fabric is not uniform. As shown, however, three courses are used per repeat in each of the first three operations in which the edge loops are transferred outwardly and four courses are used in the repeat of the fourth such operation. The fabric shown in Fig. 8 also developed sinker loops and then needle loops in addition to those added due to the outward transferring operations in the same sequence as that shown in Fig. 7.

In the fabric shown in Fig. 6,. however, a somewhat diiferent effect was produced although the overall result was the same. In Fig. 6, as in Figs. '7 and 8, only one loop was added at each edge of the fabric in the course b by the first stepping out operation, but in Fig. 6, immediately after the second stepping out operation, a needle loop a: and accompanying sinker loop a were formed at the right hand selvage, a sinker loop e only having been formed in the same course as loop a: at the left selvage. In the succeeding course, the sinker loop e grew into a needle loop with accompanying sinker loop at, the left selvage so that the difference between the fabric of Fig. 6 and those of Figs. 7 and 8, so far as the addition of loops was concerned, was the appearance of an additional needle loop at the same side and in the same course as an additional sinker loop instead in a succeeding course and a course sooner than sinker loop f. Ordinarily it does not happen that both an additional sinker loop and an additional needle loop build on in the same course. It will be understood that the fabrics shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 were made on the same machine as the fabrics shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but that the lace openings in the courses prior to the beginning of the operations for widening the heel are omitted in Figs. 6, 7 and 8. In the portions of blanks shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the selvages along the widened sections of the fabrics, the heel portions, similarly to Fig. 2, are of locked character. The fabric shown in Figs. 6, '7 and 8 are, however, different as regards the positions of the lace openings formed at the times of the outward transfer of the edge loops.

In Fig. 7, the first two lace openings on each side of the fabric are only one needle wale from the selvage, the following lace openings being each two needle wales from the selvage. In the fabric of Fig. 3, the pair of lace openings in the first course and all other courses having such openings are spaced from the selvages each by two needle wales. In Fig. 6, the lace openings in the first course to have such openings are each three needle wales from the nearest selvage and the lace opening in each of the remaining courses having such openings are each intended to be three needle wales from the nearest selvage, although only two needle wales are shown following the first, due no doubt to a failure of the mechanism to pick up two loops at each side of the fabric on the second widening operation.

The different spacings of the lace openings shown for the different fabrics have different purposes or objects. In the fabric of the blank B and stocking A shown in Figs. 1 and 2, it is not desired to take the lace openings along the widened portion of the heel into the seam. By leaving the lace openings out of the seam, a certain elasticity is imparted to the region of the heel and also the lines of the sides of the V in the high heel are continued down into the heel pocket, giving a more pleasing appearance to the heel when the stocking is examined on the sales counter. In the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 and 2, I therefore prefer to space the lace opening in the lines P of Fig. 2 about five or a sufficient number of needle loops from the selvages in the widened portions of the heel pockets H, so that the seam may be conveniently run outside the line of lace openings, giving the efiect shown in Fig. l. The arrangement shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is that preferred by me.

At times, however, it is desired to omit the V effect of Fig. 1 and also to take the lace Openings into the seam. A blank Z having a line of lace openings Y close enough to the selvedges to permit this is shown on Fig. 4. Experience has shown, however, that, when this is attempted, the seamstress often misses the first lace opening or so in the vicinity of the angle between the high heel and the heel pocket. I have found that such mischance is much less apt to happen if the upper ends of the lines S of lace openings start a littl closer to the selvages as shown at J in a blank X shown in Fig. 5. It has been found desirable in this case to cause the lower ends of the lines of fashion marks C of the leg narrowlugs to bend toward selvages of the blank as shown at D in Fig. 5. A stocking Q which may be formed from either blank Z or blank X is shown in Fig. 3. In each of Figs. 2, 4 and 5, lines T of fashion marks are shown formed by operation for narrowing the heel portion H, as well as lines U of fashion marks formed by operations for narrowing the toe parts of the blank B, Z and X. Mechanism for forming the lines of fashion marks, K, C, T and U for forming the lines P, Y and S of lace openings and for causing the fashion marks C and lace openings S to bend for the desired short distances is shown in the drawings and described hereinbelow. It will be seen from Fig. 5, however, that the lower ends of fashion marks C are farther from the selvage edges than the upper ends of lines S. It is necessary, therefore, that the attendants shift the points by hand intermediate the lower ends of fashion marks C and the upper ends of lines S of lace openings in Fig. 5.

However, I do not limit myself in all cases to either leaving the lace openings out of the seams in the widened sections of the heel or to making bend in the lines of lace openings.

I have disclosed my apparatus invention in connection with a full-fashioned knitting machine of the single unit type, shown in Figs. 9 to 27 inclusive. but it will be understood that such application of the invention is merely illustrative.

. .Said machine includes a needle bar and means to operate it to produce a succession of knitted courses, end stops and operating spindles therefor, point comb bars and operating spindles therefor, and pawl and ratchet means for operating said spindles in either direction, two pawls of said means cooperating to turn a spindle for the point comb bars two needles per revolution but in two steps of one needle each. The machine shown in the drawings comprises further a frame 55 including transverse end frames 56 and cen-' ter frames 51 in parallel arrangement and connected by longitudinal members adapted to hold the end and center frames rigidly in place. On said frame 55 are mounted a variety of mechanisms including said means for knitting loops of yarn in successive courses, said knitting means being divided into sections of which there may be up to thirty, or more.

The knitting sections Each knitting section of the usual full-fashioned knitter includes a needle bar 58, as shown in Figs. 28 to 31, having beard type needles 59 thereon, and other cooperating knitting elements, not shown, for forming loop on the needles from yarn laid to the needles, and means including a main camshaft 52 to repeatedly carry the needle bar through a cycle of movements to knit, with the assistance to said cooperating elements, the loops of one course to those of the preceding course. Generally, a known arrangement called a couliering means moves a yarn carrying means to lay yarn to the needles of all the kntting sections simultaneously.

The camshaft and patterning means Said means for knitting including the couliering means are operated from and, in a sense, include the longitudinally shiftable main camshaft 62, the cams on which operate the different means or mechanisms. As certain mechanisms of the machine operate only part of the time and others operate differently at different positions of the camshaft, a patterning means 53, shown in Fig. 9, is provided for determining which mechanisms shall receive impulses from the cams on the main camshaft in any given revolution thereof and when the camshaft is to be shifted.

Each mechanism receives its impulse from a cam on the main camshaft through a cam follower. Generally speaking said cam followers may each be shifted in the direction longitudinally of the camshaft so as to be operatively engaged by a cam or disengaged therefrom. The shifting of said cam followers is accomplished in most cases by rods operated, either directly or indirectly by a pattern chain 64 forming part of said patterning means 63. For this purpose, the pattern chain 64 is stepped, usually once every revolution, by a means (not shown) which is preferable of a known type and actuated by a cam on said main camshaft. A series of levers, one of which is shown at 56, is placed near the usual driving sprocket wheel for said chain and each may be turned through an angle at a desired time to operate one of said rods to shift a cam follower directly or to set in motion a mechanism for so doing, thereby controlling the action of a given mechanism. The individual levers 66 are operated at desired times by buttons 6'! which arev clamped in use to links of the pattern chain in such position as to strike each a given lever at a given revolution of the cam shaft. Further, saidchain controls the shifting of the camshaft itself. To this end, a position is provided on the gene chain for a button which throws into action a means (not shown) for forcing a roller on a transverse shaft 68 rearwardly into engagement with a lateral face of a cam 69 on the camshaft, causing the shaft to shift to the right as viewed from the front of the machine. Later in the same revolution the said roller engage a lateral face on another cam if on the camshaft 62 causing the camshaft to shift to the left to its original position. A spring 12 restores the shaft 53 to its original as soon as the button 6'! which caused it to be shifted has been moved out of active position by chain (it. Further, a position is provided in the pattern means for a button so tuat'ed lever (not shown) acting to stop the ma chine. a V

The left hand position of the main camshaft as viewed from the front of the machine is the knitting position while the right position of the camshaft is the one in which narrowing and wid ening operations occur and which is ordinarily called the narrowing position. The needles and other mechanisms are operated in both positions of the camshaft but have different movements in one than in the other, requiring different cams. The camshaft therefore is provided with both knitting cams and narrowing cams forthe needles and said other mechanisms and th longitudindal movements of the camshaft determined by the pattern means automatically shift the relative positions of the cams and cam followers for causing the needle motions and for operating said other mechanims from the knitting to the narrowing cams and back. The cam followers for the needle "motions and for said other mechanisms therefore do not in general need to be con-- trolled from the patterning m'e'ans.

Narrowing machine The knitting of a two machine type full-fashioned stocking or like blank, ordinarily called a standard blank, is begun at its wide end and all changes in width during manufacture are of a narrowing character, so that an important part of the mechanism in a full-fashioned knitting machine for changing the width of the fabric during knitting is called the narrowing machine/f Said narrowing machine comprises arms 73,,

shown in Fig. 9, extending forward from pivots at their rear ends on a longitudinal shaft it known as the back narrowing shaft. Said arms extend above the machine and support a front narrowing shaft '55 at their front ends. Said front narrowing shaft supports brackets '16 in which are slidably supported narrowing rods Tl to which are fixed point combs 18 carrying groups of narrowing points 79 for narrowin and widening the'fabric. Part of the weight of said arms as well as the weight of the front narrowing shaft and parts thereon is supported by links such as 8| pivoted at their upper ends to said shaftflfi and, at their lower ends, to oscillata'ble levers such as 82 (Fig. 9 which are pivotally mounted in the frame to oscillate about axes at their front ends and havecam followers such as 83 journalled thereon, the cam followers resting on round cam disks 84 on the main cam shaft when the shaft is in its left or knitting position to support links 8 I; Ina narrowing or widening operation, thecamshaft is shifted so that the cam followers 83 'on-said levers 82 are above cams 86 shapedto' lower the points of the combs into con tact with the needles. The combs having been properly set, one or more loops at the edge of the fabric are thereupon picked off the needles yarn carriers.

10 by the points. Said lowering cams then raise the points so that they just clear the needles and knockover bits, and the sinkers and dividers (not shown) having been retracted, the narrowing rods 11 are then shifted to move the combs. The lowering cams 86 then again lower the points into contact with the needles so that the loops on the points also surround needles and the points and needles go down and, the cooperating retractable knitting element having been advanced again, the lowering cams raise the narrowing machine so that the loops are stripped off the points andremain on the needles in a trans'- ferred position, the camshaft thereupon being shifted back to the left or knitting position. The

drive for the couliering means being disconnected during the period of the main camshaft, is in shifted position, of course, no yarn is laid to the needles during a narrowing or widening o eration;

of the carrier rods 92 for the thread guide fingers 50' as shown in Figs. 28 to 31, so as to determine the number of needles to which thread will be laid for knitting. For producing the motions just mentioned of the narrowing rods and end 2 stops, respectively, the spindles 88 have each two reversely threaded portions 93 on each of which is a nut 94, while each spindle 89 has a threaded portion on which is a nut 96 on which is mounted the end stops SI for limiting the travel of the It is desirable that the spindles for the end stops 9i be moved two needles at a time because of the relationship of the yarn carri'ers with the sinkers and the dividers. In case the combs 18 are moved only one needle, the inner points 19 on the combs, if the combs overlap the selvages, will make lines of fashion marks or lace openings inclined to the selvages, If this is not desired, the combs must be moved two needles at a time or the combs must be given a second step of one needle to restore their relative position with respect to the end stops.

For turning the spindles of the narrowing heads of full-fashioned knitting machines, a mechanism has been shown which contains many known features comprising an actuator 97, best shown perhaps in Fig. 10, at each end of the machine which is raised and lowered by a cam J8 on the main camshaft 62 wheneve a cam follower 99 for the actuator is brought into active and 19, and are arranged to act on suitable ratchet wheels to turn both the spindles 88 and 89 two needles inthe narrowing direction for narrowing during the knitting of a stocking blank. In the arrangement" shown, two other .pawls" Hi5" and I06 are mounted on the actuator 91 and ar-- ranged to act on suitable ratchet Wheels to turn both the spindles 88 and 89 in the widening direction. In the arrangement shown and perhaps most clear from Fig. 19, a bracket piece I01 is bolted to the actuator 91 at points E and G while pawls I05 and I06 are pivoted to piece I07 at points and V, respectively. However, it is obvious that the actuator 91 may be so shaped, if desired, that the pawls I and I06 may be pivoted directly on the actuator without any intervening piece. Means are provided also, as hereinafter described. in detail whereby the action of widening pawl I05 on spindle 88 may be modified to produce only a one needle movement although the amplitude of the movement of actuator 97 is sufiicient to cause both pawls I 05 and M6 to always produce two needle movements of spindles 88 and 89. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 10, spindle 89, when actuated, is always turned enough to produce a movement along the axis of the spindle equal to twice the distance between two adjacent needles although means is provided for preventing pawl I06 from acting at times when the actuator 91 is reciprocated. Mounting the widening pawls on the actuator 07 instead of on levers I03'an'd I04 as heretofore, especially pawl I05 for the comb spindle 83, results in racking the spindles on the upstroke of actuator 91 when widening instead of on the downstroke thereof. This has important practical consequences as will presently appear. The machine also has a usual back-racking pawl I09 of the pull-back type on the actuator which is automatically controlled to turn the comb moving or narrowing spindle one needle in the widening direction. Such one needle movement of the narrowing spindle in the widening direction is commonly employed during the heel narrowing operation after each two needle movement of the spindles in the narrowing direction. As pointed out more fully hereinbelow, I have found a new use for the back-racking pawl in connection with widening the fabric. Means are known whereby the pawls for causing narrowing movements of the spindles or the pawls for causing the widening movements are controlled from the pattern chain. In the arrangement shown, springs are provided which bias the pawls toward their active positions and a cam means is provided having a cam member pivoted on one of the spindles and adapted to throw at one time the narrowing pawls and at another time the widening pawls out of action in response to the action of the pattern chain, the widening pawls or the narrowing pawls being permitted, at the same time, to move into active position. I have shown a modification of said known means according to my invention having a pattern controlled cam means including cams such as I08 pivoted one on each of the point comb spindles which acts directly on the two of 'the pawls for such spindle which move it at times two needles, the two corresponding pawls for the end stop spindle 89 being connected by links to those directly controlled by the cam I08 so as to move the same way, whereby said pivoted cam controls the pawls for both spindles and moves them all simultaneously, all the pawls that is, except the back-racking pawls I09. Of course, an equivalent means for controlling four pawls, two on each spindle, would be one having a control cam journalled on each spindle, one such cam being directly controlled by the pattern means. I

Said four pawls for operating spindles 88 and 80, in addition to back-racking pawl I09, are. IBI, I82, I05 and I06. Pawls IOI and I02 act, respectively on ratchet wheels III and H2, Figs.

19 and 21, on spindles 88 and 89, respectively, and serve to turn spindles 88 and 89 in the direction to narrow the fabric, while pawls I05 and I03 act on ratchets H3 and I I4 respectively which'are fixed to shafts 88 and 89 resectively. Pawls I05 and I06 serve with ratchets II3 and H4 to turn spindles 88 and 89 in the widening direction. All four pawls IOI, I02, I05 and I08 at each end of the machine act on the upstroke of actuator 91, back-racking pawl I09 being the only one of the pawls shown which acts on the downstroke of the actuator. The pawls IOI and I02 are shown as connected by a link II5 so that when cam member I08 moves pawl mi away from its ratchet wheel by acting on a transverse pin I I6, in Fig. 19, fixed to th pawl, link H5 draws pawl I02 out of operative relation to its ratchet at the same time. Similarly, pawl I05 is connected to pawl I06 by a link III so that, when cam I08 is turned to throw pawl I away from its ratchet H3 by acting on a pin I I8 fixed to the pawl, pawl I00 is moved away from its ratchet H4 at the same time. Cam I08 is so formed that it throws out of action either pawls I05 and I00 or pawls an I depending on the position of the cam I08. The means for turning swinging cam piece or part 08- from one position to the other includes, in addition to the chain 84, a circular disk H0 on camshaft 62 and a cam I 2| alongside disk H9. Also, a roller type cam follower I22 or its equivalent is provided which is journalled in a lever I23 which is connected to a pivoted shaft I24 (Fig. 10), in this instance at the rear of the machine frame. Shaft I24 has fixed thereon also a lever I25 which extends forwardly from shaft I24 and has a rod or link I26 pivoted thereto which extends upwardly and somewhat rearwardly from a point at or near the front end of lever I25 as shown at I21 to a pivotal connection with the cam I03 at I28. Therefore, if cam follower I22 remains on round or circular cam disk II9 as shown in Fig. 10, cam I08 remains stationary in the position shown in Fig. 10 and the narrowing pawls I 0| and I02 remain in active position. If, however, cam I2I is moved over to align it with follower I22 the lever I25 is lowered from the position shown in Fig. 10 to that shown in Fig. 19 and cam I08 is swung at the same time by link I26 so that narrowing pawls IM and I02 are pushed back from their ratchets during the time the actuator 91 is being raised by its cam 98 while widening pawls I05 and I06 are permitted. to drop into contact with their ratchets H3 and H4 during a portion of a revolution so as to turn spindles 88 and 89 in the widening direction on the upstroke of the actuator 91.

For controlling link I26 to swing cam I08 to permit a widening operation, a mechanism I20 is provided, bestshown, perhaps, in Figs. 9 and 20. Mechanism I29 is shown as largely mounted on a standard I3I shown as fixed to the front beam of the machine frame 55. i The upper end of standard I3I is bifurcated to provide a pair of arms I32 and I33 at its upper end in which" is slidably mounted a bar or rod I34 for endwise movement longitudinally of the machine. A collar I35 is fixed to bar I34 and arranged to contact the inner face of arm I32 to limit the movement of bar I34 to the left while an elongated collar I36 is fixed to bar I34 and arranged to contact the inner face of arm I33 to limit the the movement of the bar to the right. Collar I36 is shown in Fig. 19 as extending downwardly and somewhat forwardly from bar I34 and as having a notch I31 in its lower end through which extends a pin I38 which is fixed in arm I33 and serves to keep collar I 36 and bar I34 from turning. Fixed on bar I34 is a vertically extending support I39 having a set screw in its upper end whereby its effective height may be adjusted. Also fixed to bar I 34 is a collar I II having a pin I 42 projecting forwardly therefrom. A lever I43 pivoted on standard I3I at I 44 cooperates with pin I42 at times to throw bar I34 to the right into the position shown in Fig. 20. Lever I43 is operated from the pattern chain 64 at predetermined intervals by a rod I46. Except at the times it is acted on by chain 64 through one of the levers 69 of pattern means 93, the end of rod I46 is held toward the right as viewed in Figs. 9; and 20 by a spring I I'I (Fig. 9) connected betweena point on the rod and a point on the frame 55. Therefore, lever I43 stands, normally, in the position shown in Fig. 9 with itsupper end free of the pin I42. A spring I43 (Fig. 20) connected at one end to-bar I34 through collar I39, or otherwise, and at its other end to arm I32 serves normally to hold bar {36 to the left as viewed in Figs. 9 and 20. As shown in Figs. 9 and 10, when bar I34 is at the left, part I39 on bar I39 is directly beneath the lever I23 and supports it independently of round disk II9 and follower I22, collar I35 being so set that spring I48 cannot move bar I34 so that part I99 will pass to the left of the plane of lever I23, as viewed in Figs. 9 and 20. However, when chain 64 acts to throw the parts into the position shown in Fig. 20, lever I 23 is free to drop, so far as part I39 is concerned. Therefore, the mechanism I29 may serve as a discriminating means whereby cam I98 can cause spindles 83 and 89 to move in either the widening or the narrowing direction. Although the camshaft 62 shifts to the right for both the widening and narrowing operations, no button for operating rod I 45 is placed on chain I34 for courses to be narrowed. Therefore, although the shift of shaft 62 to the right at such times carries round disk H9 out from under follower I22, it cannot drop onto cam I2I because part I39 remains under lever I23. Therefore cam I98 remains in the position shown in Fig. and the narrowing pawls act on the spindles. When widening is to be per formed, however, a button is placed on chain 64 to move rod I46, bar I34 and support I39 each tim the shaft 62 is shifted, whereby the lever I23 is lowered and raised again by cam I2I to thereby operate shaft I24, lever I25 and link I28 to turn cam I68 into the position shown in Fig. 19 in which the widening pawls are active.

In Figs. 10 and 19, the shaft IZ I is shown as journalled at the rear of the machine. This, however, is optional and in Figs. 42 and I have shown a mechanism I49 for controlling the position of cam I98 comprising a shaft I5I which is at the front of the machine and has a cam lever I45 secured thereto cooperating with the cam IZI and associated disk H9 in a manner similar to the lever I23. The shaft I EI also car ries a lever I59 which is connected to the link I29 to turn the cam I98 in the same manner as hereinbefore set forth. Otherwise, the mechanism I49 is the same as mechanism I29 having the same number of parts of the same shape and similarly arranged except as to changes incidental to placing the shaft I5I at the front of the machine. Figs. 42 and 43, therefore, are not further described herein. a

However, it is desired that during widening operations pawl I turn the narrowing spindle 88 only one needle while it is desired that pawl I99 turn the end stop spindle 89 two needles, the usual distance. Therefore, pawl I99 is permit" ted to act on ratchet I I4 without hindrance while pawl I05 isprevented from turning spindle 89 more than one needle. For the purpose of limiting the action or pawl I95 in widening operations, a cam piece I52 is adjustably mounted on spindle 8-9 near the end of the spindle and provided with an upward extension I53 having arcuate slots I54 therein through which screws I55 are inserted into a fixed block I59 (Fig. 9) immedi ately behind slots I554. The heads of screws I55 are adapted to bear against cam I52 50 that it stays in the position in which it is set by the op erator and cam I52 is so shaped that, when set as in Fig. 19, it bears against the edge of pawl I95 to hold it away from ratchet wheel I I 3 until after actuator 97 has started up from its lowest posi tion, so that pawl I95 catches the ratchet H3 only in time to turn the ratchet enough to move the narrowing combs a distance of one needle. The edge loops are therefore transferred outward one needle at each widening operation when member I52 is in the position shown in Fig. 19 and in which the screws I55 are at the front ends of the slots I54. By swinging member I52 clockwise as viewed in Fig. I9 until the screws I 55 are at the rear ends of slots I54, the pawl I 95 will be permitted to turn spindle 89 two needles, so that spindle 98 may keep step with spindle 89 when desired. In order that spindle 99 may not lag behind the spindle 89 in the heel widening operations and thereby throw the combs out of positiou relatively to the selvage and the end stops, the spindles 99 are turned enough to move the combs another one needle distance during the same revolution in which the edge loops were stepped out. This is done by the back-racking pawl I99, as will now be describe A special arrangement is provided according to this invention for controlling the back-racking pawl which holds the pawl inactive or permits it to act, partly according to the position of the end stops and partly according to the direction of movement of the end stops. Each back-racking pawl I99 is pivoted to the reciproeating aotuatortl at its end of the machine near the central longitudinal plane of the machineso as to extend up between the two threaded spindles 98 and 99, and acts on the ratchet wheel lit for moving the combs in the Widening direction. It therefore must act on the downward stroke of the actuator, since the spindles at the right end of the machine, Fig. 42, turn in the clockwise direction, viewed from their outer ends, when widening andthose at the left end, Fig. 10, turn counterclockwise when widening. Said special control arrangement provided includes a link I5? one end of which is pivotally connected to the pawl Ili9intermediate its ends. Said link is pivoted at its other end to an arm or lever fixed to a shaft IE9 pivotally mounted on trans verse portions IiiI of frame 55 and running longitudinally along the rear of the narrowing head 87 so that, when the shaft I59 turns, it swings the back-racking pawl I99 on its pivot. A spring I 92, best shown in Fig. 16, between the lower end of arm I58 and a fixed point on the actuator 97 biases the back-racking pawl toward active position but it is held inactive except at desired times by said special control arrangement. The

end stops III are carried by the large nut 96 

